Femininity, Elegance & Sensuality

My Favourite Autumn Self-Care

Autumn truly seems to be the season of self-care. Everyone’s sharing their self-care routines, so I guessed I’d jump on the bandwagon.

My self-care routine is so important to me, and I am incredibly protective of it and my time. Last year I experienced what it is to be burnt out, and it is a feeling I will never forget. Never again. Self-care, and taking the time to focus on myself and my needs, has truly helped to change me and my view of the world, and I frequently advocate starting a self-care routine to my friends.

1. Sleep

I am an absolute cow if I had not had enough sleep. I really struggle to function, so I strive every night to get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep. This seems to be the ideal for my body, although it may not be for you.

I’m working improve the quality of those seven hours as well. I meditate before bed, to calm my mind and breathing. I journal, which helps to quieten my overthinking brain long enough for me to actually fall asleep. I recently upgraded my pillows for the first time ever, and it was quite possibly the best thing I ever did! They’re firm, and ideal for a constant side sleeper like me. Don’t get me wrong, they still make me feel like I’m sleeping on a cloud, but a firm, supportive cloud that takes the weight off my shoulders.

2. Journalling

I am a person who overthinks things. I cannot seem to help it. My mind has a really bad habit of racing off at four-hundred miles an hour, and I am helpless to stop it. Journalling takes these loud, shouty, muddled thoughts out of my brain and splurges them out on paper, where I can read and re-read them to my heart’s content. This allows me to sort and make sense of them, rather than trying to catch them as they race around fighting for air-time in my head.

Journalling has helped me think through some really difficult decisions and figure out what’s really in my head and heart on more than one occasion, and I absolutely love it. The written word is a special kind of magic given to humankind, and I think writing it by hand just enhances that magic.

Journalling takes a great many forms, from poetry writing to diaries to braindumps, so work through some different options to see what works for you.

3. Alone Time

I am an introvert, and by nature, introverts need to be alone, at least to recharge. Whenever I’m in need of a little creative boost, or I’m starting to feel what I now know to be social burnout, or I just need a wee recharge, I cart myself off somewhere quiet to live inside my head for a while. It’s one of the reasons I love this blog so much. I’m invested in it, and so have no issues with taking myself off, whacking in my headphones, shutting out the world and just writing. It is so therapeutic, and I just love it. Wandering Scotland does in a way act as a second journal, as it’s another place for me to spill out all my thoughts and inner musings out from my brain and into the written word.

Bonus: candles!!

As I said last week, I love smelly things! Absolutely love them. And I have a real love of the more autumnal, rugged scents like cinnamon and pine. They’re just so cosy and comforting and warm. There’s also something just so delicately romantic about candlelight; how the flame flickers, casting gentle, subtle shadows across the room. I love sitting and relaxing in a room lit by candles. It feels almost magical.These are my

These are my favourite self-care tips and tricks, particularly for Autumn and Winter. But I’m curious – what are yours? How do you guys journal? Is it just a nightly brain dump, or do you take time to structure and perfect the prose?

I also like to journal although I have to admit I don't do it nearly as much as I would like to. When I journal I usually just brain dump although I do like to do some of the exercises from Katie Dalebouts book Let it Out. I also love smelly things! Soy candles and essential oils are my favorites!

mckinneylauren

October 21, 2017

My essential oil diffuser is never off! I've never heard of that book, I'll have to check it out x